


put on a happy face

by AndreaLyn



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:41:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21903160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndreaLyn/pseuds/AndreaLyn
Summary: When Poe gets in one of those bad moods, Finn's willing to doanythingto get him out of it. Lucky for him, he's got a few ideas up his sleeve.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Finn
Comments: 12
Kudos: 262





	put on a happy face

**Author's Note:**

> Even though the concept and several scenarios within comes from TROS, no real spoilers for the actual movie within, so can be read as taking place anytime!

“Come on,” Finn begs, chasing after Chewie when he lopes away in the Falcon.

It’s probably insane to be begging him like this, but Finn’s not exactly rife with ideas. Poe’s been in a terrible mood for weeks now, though it’s not like Finn can blame him. Every time they go out there, they seem to run into trouble, and Poe comes back in a worse mood for it, bitching about Rey’s absence (Finn gets it) or some other inane and stupid thing that’s clearly not the real reason he’s upset, but it always results in the same thing.

He stomps all around the Falcon.

He storms around the base.

He’s a damn menace, and Finn’s willing to do anything to make it better. 

Chewbacca roars his answer, making Finn groan in protest. “It’s not about your pride or your dignity! It’s just one game! You can throw one game, right? C’mon,” he pleads. “Throw the game, he’ll be so happy.” Right now, Finn needs him happy, because miserable Poe is his least favorite shade.

Chewbacca makes enough of a considerate noise that Finn interprets that as him thinking about it, which makes his eyes light up. “Perfect.” He reaches up to clap his shoulder, even if it strains his arm to do it. “You’re the best! Really!”

He convinces Poe to sit down for another game of two-on-one chess during a lull while they wait for new instructions. It’s been a rough few days of sitting within an asteroid for cover, and Finn could use anything. “We’re overdue a game,” he coaxes, reaching to tug on Poe’s hand to try and pull him back towards the galley. “Poe,” he tries his best charming smile, reaching for his other hand so they’re doing double duty. “Come on.”

Poe relents and lets Finn tug him along. “Fine, but only because you asked so nicely.”

For the briefest moment, everything is going well. Then Chewie makes his first move and it all comes crashing down around him. 

Chewbacca wins.

He does it in six moves.

Poe storms out of there, muttering under his breath about slow cheaters, leaving Finn gaping at their first mate with an incredulous look of disbelief. If anything, Poe’s now in an even worse mood than he’d been in before.

“You were supposed to lose!”

Chewbacca roars, shaking his head frantically. He’s gesturing emphatically to the board in front of him, griping about honor and dignity and other words that don’t mean anything to Finn, because they had a deal. Promises were made. 

“Fine, but you’re dealing with Grumpy Dameron,” he reminds Chewbacca. “Think about that when you’re sitting on your high and mighty chair of Honor,” Finn complains, and storms off in his own bad mood, as if Poe’s somehow managed to infect him, even though Finn’s the one trying to make it _better_.

* * *

“Rey.”

“Hmm?” 

She’s balancing rocks in the air on either side of her, letting them float in slow concentric circles. Finn’s not supposed to be interrupting her, but he can’t help it. She’d yell at him anyway, because she always says that she can tell when he’s got something on his mind.

“You know that thing you do?”

“I do lots of things, Finn,” Rey replies, poking one eye open to give him a teasing smile. “What particular thing were you thinking of?”

He waves his hand in the air, in front of his face. “You know. The…thing.” He keeps waving it in circles, which is starting to feel more like he’s giving a demonstration on how to wash his face instead of actually getting somewhere. “Where you make someone think what you want them to think.”

“I don’t like to use that often, you know that,” Rey chastises.

“Yeah, but this is really important,” he insists. “Like, really,” he adds, with an emphatic nod. The rocks glide back towards the ground and so does she, clearly interested enough in what Finn plans to ask to listen. “It’s Poe. He’s been miserable lately, which isn’t a secret, but I was thinking that maybe you could do your thing and put him in a good mood.”

“You want me to use the Force to make Poe’s bad mood go away?”

When she puts it like that, Finn starts to falter slightly, but it’s not like he’s got any other bright ideas. “Yes?”

“All right,” Rey replies. “Somehow, I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

How could he not? He hates Poe storming around the base in such a grumpy mood, so he figures anything Rey can do will be a million times better. He kisses her cheek and yanks her into an appreciative hug before heading off, knowing that the next time he and Poe cross paths, there’ll be no more griping or bickering or sniping. 

That doesn’t mean that Finn’s ready for what does happen.

“What a day!” Poe says cheerfully, bouncing down from the Falcon to grab Finn by the cheeks, hauling him in for a cheek kiss, then another, then back. “Buddy, it’s gonna be incredible. You look great, incidentally, have I told you that you look great? Man, I’m in a great mood!” He’s whistling as he rounds the ship. “I’m gonna get a drink. Do you want a drink?” He doesn’t even wait for Finn to respond. “I’m getting you something, because you’re a hell of a guy, Finn! Buddy!”

Then, he’s off. 

Finn waves at him, watching him go with a cheerful smile that drops the second Poe’s out of his sight. Then, he bolts for Rey, grabbing her by the shoulders and giving her a small shake.

“Finn, what are you…?”

“Make it stop,” he pleads. 

Rey presses her lips together, obviously trying to avoid smiling at him. Finn has this _feeling_ that she’s trying not to say ‘I told you so’. “Oh? Is it not what you wanted?” 

The way Poe is acting gives Finn prickling shivers up his spine, because it’s not _right_. It’s Poe, but only a little off to the side, making him feel like something’s invaded him and is walking around wearing a Poe Dameron suit – and it’s not too far off the truth, seeing as how he did ask Rey to basically put a thought and a mood in his head.

“Make it stop,” he pleads. “I can’t take it anymore. It’s too much. He’s _too_ happy.”

“Done,” Rey promises. “And next time, Finn, be more careful what you wish for.”

* * *

“Hey, BB! Wait up!”

The droid stops rolling after Rey, but he sounds plenty disgruntled about being taken away from her. Finn knows that he should be learning how to speak droid, but there are more important things going on right now, so he’s pretty sure he can be forgiven for that lack of a skill.

That said, it’s going to make this conversation really difficult.

“I know that you can tell that Poe’s feeling kind of out of it,” he starts, and he doesn’t need to speak droid to interpret BB-8’s whistle-click-beep as _no shit_. “I know you can’t give me advice or anything, but I’m pretty sure you’re Poe’s favorite person.”

Never mind that BB-8 is a droid, Finn’s pretty sure it goes BB, then the rest of them.

The little smug and proud beep that BB-8 gives means that either he agrees, or he’s willing to let Finn puff up his programmed ego like that. The confused beep after is one that Finn interprets as him asking what he’s supposed to do with Poe’s bad mood.

Honestly? Finn doesn’t know either.

“You’re way smarter than me. I don’t know, maybe just…be there for him? You know. Keep him company, talk to him, distract him from the storm cloud over his head.”

He glances up to see the bustle around them, along with Rey waiting patiently for Finn to finish the conversation with BB-8. He doesn’t think he needs to beg, but he’s ready to. BB-8 rolls back and forth, but then stops and gives Finn a little lighter-thumbs up, so the plan is on. 

“Great,” Finn says, lighting up with relief. 

This has _got_ to do the trick. 

It all seems like a good plan until Finn pokes his head out from his quarters to see BB-8 rolling towards Poe, beeping eagerly and rolling back and forth. Poe barely glances up from where he’s making repairs on the light-drive. “Not now,” he tells BB-8, scowling the whole time. “I’m busy, okay?”

BB-8 rolls past Finn, beeping angrily.

He’s pretty sure he just heard a droid’s swearing fit, from what his instincts are telling him.

If that didn’t even work, then Finn knows that he’s going to have to bring out the big guns. For Poe’s mood to shift, Finn’s going to pull out all the stops.

* * *

There’s one method left that Finn hasn’t tried.

It’s a bit drastic. He only likes to use it as the last resort, but Poe’s bad mood has only been growing darker. It’s gotten to the point that he’s constantly sniping with C-3P0 and even Chewbacca’s mood has taken a dive as a result. 

Enough is enough. 

This has to end. 

Finn waits until all the droids and their co-pilots have gone to bed. Before Poe can do the same, Finn reaches for his hand, letting his fingers trail over the back of his hand, gently tangling their fingers together so he can lightly tug Poe back towards him.

“What?” Poe asks, and there’s a soft laugh he gives that lets Finn know there’s hope. 

“Nothing,” Finn says casually, shrugging his shoulders.

Poe lifts their joined hands, raising both brows. “Clearly something.”

“I was just thinking that it’d be nice for us to spend some time together.”

Poe wanders a little closer to Finn, perching himself on top of the table that Finn’s sitting at. He hasn’t let go of Finn’s hand and he’s giving Finn that heated little stare he gets when he’s focused on something. “Oh?”

Finn lifts Poe’s hand to his lips, brushing a kiss to each knuckle slowly. From the sharp intake of air that Poe breathes in, Finn’s got him. It’s actually impressive how he can see Poe’s bad mood start to bleed away, like he’s forgetting what’s waiting for them out there. Finn could shout in victorious relief, because one more day of Poe’s grey cloud hanging over all their head and he might decide to take a walk outside the ship for a break.

“It’s late,” Finn says, standing and untangling their fingers. “We should go to bed.”

Poe looks disappointed for the loss of the touch, but it’s a good thing Finn doesn’t intend to leave him hanging for very long.

“You better be in mine in ten minutes,” Finn says, over his shoulder while he leaves the kitchen. “Or I’m gonna think you got a better offer.” 

The next morning, Poe’s the first one in the galley. He’s making breakfast, he’s whistling, and he’s smiling. Finn grabs himself some tea and settles in to get comfortable, stretching out his body from the pleasant aches of the night before. “ _Good_ morning,” Poe says, his eyebrows raising lasciviously as he looks at Finn.

“May I say what a welcome change it is to see you in such a good mood, sir,” 3P0 remarks, and Finn hides his delighted smirk behind his mug. 

“What can I say,” Poe says and puts down a full plate of breakfast in front of Finn. “I had a really great incentive to turn my mood around last night.”

He accepts the fork Poe hands out to him, ready to indulge in a hearty and well-earned breakfast. It’s good to know that when in doubt, Finn doesn’t need anyone else’s help. When it comes to Poe’s moods, there’s one sure-fire way to turn it around and luckily, it’s a great boost to Finn’s mood, too, and it leaves him feeling confident and optimistic. 

Its going to be a great day. 

Finn’s got a good feeling about it.


End file.
